Machine for coiling elongated striplike material

ABSTRACT

A machine for coiling elongated striplike material such as welded mesh reinforcement of the kind in which the material is coiled on a mandrel from which the completed coil is removed after the coil and mandrel have been separated by axial movement relative to each other is provided with a gripper mechanism for gripping the coil and this mechanism is arranged to travel between a first position near the mandrel and a second position away from the mandrel. The gripper mechanism has at least two grippers capable of pivoting inwards from opposite sides into contact with the outer surface of a coil mounted on the mandrel so that they thrust against the surface of the coil and hold it together. The gripper mechanism is arranged so that during its movement from the first position into the second position, the grippers continue to hold the coil firmly together and prevent it from uncoiling.

United States Patent [72] Inventors HansGott Graz;

Josef Ritter, Graz-Kroisbach, Austria [21] AppLNo. 736,852

[22] Filed June 13, 1968 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [73] Assignee EVG Entwicklungs und Verwertungs- Gtsellschaft m.b. H Graz, Austria [32] Priority June 16, 1967 [33] Austria [54] MACHINE FOR COILING ELONGATED 2,990,129 6/1961 Russell etal Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Attorney-Ernest F. Marmorek ABSTRACT: A machine for coiling elongated striplike material such as welded mesh reinforcement of the kind in which the material is coiled on a mandrel from which the completed coil is removed after the coil and mandrel have been separated by axial movement relative to each other is provided with a gripper mechanism for gripping the coil and this mechanism is arranged to travel between a first position near the mandrel and a second position away from the mandrel. The gripper mechanism has at least two grippers capable of pivoting inwards from opposite sides into contact with the outer surface of a coil mounted on the mandrel so that they thrust against the surface of the coil and hold it together. The gripper mechanism is arranged so that during its movement from the first position into the second position, the grippers continue to hold the coil firmly together and prevent it from uncoiling.

Patented May 25, 1971 3 Sheets-Shoot 1 IN V EN TORs I f/ans 6x22 and 1059 Ride-y M. fl

Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,018

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Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,018

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MACHINE FOlR COILING ELONGATED STRIPLIKE MATERIAL Elongated striplike material, for example wire mesh reinforcement formed of crossed wires which are welded or bonded together at the crossing points is usually rolled up into coils in order to save space during storage and transport.

The coiling is done on automatic coiling machines which roll up the striplike material as it comes from the manufacturing installation, which in the case of mesh reinforcement is usually a mesh-welding machine. As soon as a specified length of mesh has been coiled, the coiling machine automatically stops. The length of mesh coiled before the machine stops can be adjusted by automatic controls. For this purpose a counting device is coupled to the coiling machine and this for example counts the transverse wires of the mesh and actuates a switching-off device when a specified number of transverse wires, corresponding to the desired mesh length, has been counted.

When a coil of material has been completed it must be removed from the coiling machine before the latter can accept further mesh. As soon as the coil has been formed the mesh must be cut off where it issues from the manufacturing machine. The 'end of the coiled mesh must be advanced on to the body of the coil, and the entire coil bound together, so that the coil cannot uncoil by the effect of the resilient nature of the material or by its own weight.

The present coiling machines have rollers which thrust against the outer surface of the coiled material during the coiling process. The strip material must be thrust inwards towards a mandrel on whichthe coil is formed so that the greatest possible quantity of strip material can be coiled into the smallest possible volume. When the strip has been cut these rollers continue to hold the coil together until it is bound. The binding is usually done by hand.

Instead of simple thrust rollers there have also been proposed for the coiling of mesh other thrust devices consisting in the main of a chain equipped with grippers. These thrust devices do not merely make contact with the surface of the coil along an axial line on the periphery of the coil but rather touch the coil around a part of its circumference. The chain grips the transverse wires of the coiled grating by means of grippers. If the chain is braked by a braking device, the grippers apply a pull to the transverse wires, with the result that the roll of mesh is not only squeezed together but is coiled under a restraining tension which increases compactness. However even with this device the completed coil has to be bound by hand.

The binding process takes up a considerable amount of time, and during this time the coil of strip material is still mounted on the coiling mandrel. Consequently either the manufacturing machine has to be shut down till the binding has been completed, or if it continues operating the produced strip of material must be stored in an intermediate storage device until the completed coil has been removed from the coiling mandrel. Furthermore the coiling machine must operate considerably faster than the manufacturing machine, so as to clear the intermediate storage device ready for receiving further material. This method does allow throughput to be increased, but at the cost of a more extensive installation, and the intermediate storage device occupies valuable space.

In order to reduce the time taken for binding the coil, and to obtain optimum utilization of the manufacturing machine, it has also been proposed to mechanize the binding operation. According to a previous proposal for this purpose a circular guide rail is attached to the coiling machine and the coil is pushed sideways into the guide rail step by step, while a thrust roller still thrusts against the outer surface of the coil, at least over part of its periphery. As soon as one side of the coil has been inserted into the circular guide rail, the sideways advance of the coil stops and a metal band is pushed into the guide. The metal band slides around the coil as the coil itself slides into the guide rail. The metal band is then pulled tight around the coil and its ends are joined together, for example by welding. The coil is then advanced a further step into the circular guide rail, and the automatic binding is repeated. After several steps of this kind the coil has been completely bound, and is removed from the coiling mandrel.

In this automatic binding process the coil moves along sideways, that is to say' in the axial direction of the coiling mandrel. The movement of the coil is guided by the mandrel, and by the thrust roller, which extends parallel to the mandrel. The tail end of the coil is prevented from uncoiling, due to the resilient nature of the material, by the thrust appliedto the surface of the coil by the thrust roller. However even by this method, in which the coil is bound in successive operations, the mandrel becomes free to receive further strip material only after the last metal band used for binding the coil has been joined together at its ends.

In the hitherto-known coiling machines the beginning of the strip of material is introduced to the mandrel either by hand or by means of a feeding mechanism provided for this purpose.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for coiling elongated striplike material, particularly wire mesh, which allows the manufacturing machine to continue operating during the binding of the previously completed coil, without it being necessary .to use an intermediate storage device, which occupies a great deal of space.

To this end, according to this invention, in such a machine in which the elongated striplike material is coiled on a coiling mandrel from which the completed coil is removed after the coil and mandrel have been separated by moving axially relative to each other, we provide a gripper mechanism for gripping the core and this is arranged to travel between a first position near the mandrel and a second position away from the mandrel, the gripper mechanism having at least two grippers capable of pivoting inwards from opposite sides into contact with the outer surface of a coil mounted on the mandrel, so that they thrust against the surface of the coil, holding it together, the arrangement being such that during the movement of the gripper mechanism from the first position into the second position the grippers continue to hold the coil firmly together, preventing it from uncoiling.

The machine operates as follows:

As soon as the coil, would tightly on the coiling mandrel, has acquired the specified length, it is gripped from outside by the gripper mechanism to prevent it from inadvertently uncoiling. The strip is then cut ofi and finally the coil is removed from the mandrel whilst it is still held by the gripper mechanism. When the mandrel is cantilever supported at one end by a stationary main bearing, the coil can be removed from the mandrel by withdrawing it axially, the gripper mechanism traveling axially with the coil in a direction parallel to the mandrel axis. On the other hand, the mandrel can if desired consist of two opposite stub mandrels, which project inwards only a short distance from the sides of the coil. To release the coil the stub mandrels retract outwards in opposite directions, allowing the coil and the gripper mechanism to be withdrawn in a direction at right angles to the mandrel axis.

An example of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation;

FIG. 2 is a plan;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic side views showing alternative gripper mechanism which prevent the coiled-up str'ip from uncoiling prematurely;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 1, a strip of mesh 1 issuing from a meshwelding machine passes along underneath the coiling machine and then forms a loop in which the strip reverses its direction. This method of feeding the strip to the coiling machine has the advantage that the machine does not have to operate precisely in step with the production machine, for example the meshwelding machine. The loop is allowed to vary in length within limits, controlled by two limit switches 18 and 18a. The two switches 18 and 180 control the size of the loop as follows: As soon as the loop has become so large that it touches the switch 18a, the coiling machine is started up, and continues to operate until the loop has decreased in size enough to touch the switch 18, whereupon the coiling machine stops.

After forming the loop in this way, the mesh strip passes under a guide roller 2 and then over a control drum 3 which is capable of driving the strip forward towards the coiling machine, and also capable of acting as a brake to restrain its forward movement. From the plan view shown in FIG. 2 it will be seen that, in this example, the control drum 3 consists of an array of wheels all fixed to the same shaft and each equipped with peripheral gripper teeth. However instead of these toothed wheels there can if desired be used other devices, which must however be capable of propelling the mesh strip forwards, on the one hand, and also braking its forward movement. For example there, could be used here, instead of the array of toothed wheels, chains equipped withU-shaped grippers and guided by guide rails to prevent the transverse wires of the mesh from jumping out of engagement with the recesses in the grippers. In the example illustrated here the transverse wires engage between the gripper teeth which are distributed around the periphery of each wheel, so that the mesh strip is always in positive engagement with the driving-braking control drum 3. The mesh strip is prevented from jumping off the control drum by the roller 2. The shaft to which all the toothed wheels are fixed is itself controlled in its rotation for example by a hydraulic motor, which can be used some of the time for propelling the mesh strip forwards, and at other times for braking its forward movement.

From the control drum 3 the mesh strip passes between a pair of shearing blades 4, 4a of a guillotine, the grating ribbon then passing over a guide roller 5 and between two guide rails 17, 17a to a mandrel 6 of the coiling machine. In FIG. 1 the guide rails 17, 17a are shown in an open position. The mandrel 6 is cantilever mounted in a bearing at one end and has a movable support at its other end.

Before the beginning of a coiling operation the guide rails 17, 17a are brought together and can be adjusted to lead the beginning of the mesh strip into one of two anchoring slots 7, 7a in the coiling mandrel 6. The mandrel has two slots to allow the mesh strip to be reeled up with the transverse wires either on its outside or its inside face. As soon as the guide rails 17, 170 have been correctly positioned, the hydraulic motor begins to rotate the shaft of the control drum 3, so that the mesh strip is advanced between the rails 17, 17a and pushed into one of the two slots 7 or 7a in the mandrel 6.

The anchoring slots 7, 7a are equipped with grippers of the known kind which catch the first transverse wire and hold it in place in such a way that it can only move sideways out of the slot that is to say parallel to the axis of the mandrel 6.

As soon as the first transverse wire has been anchored in a slot in the mandrel, the hydraulic motor of the control drum 3 stops driving forwards, and the guide rails 17, 17a return into the position shown in FIG. I. The mandrel 6 is then driven by a motor which is not shown in the drawing. The direction of rotation is as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1.

In order to coil the mesh strip as densely as possible, the motor of the control drum 3 now functions, during the coiling operation, as an oil pump, pumping against an adjustable resistance.

In order to keep the outer surface of the coiled-up mesh strip clear of obstructions, to allow freedom of movement to the feeding guide rails 17, 17a, and to allow grippers 10, l1 and lla which are arranged either as shown in FIG. I, or FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, to function freely, the coil of mesh strip is held densely packed together by braking the advancing movement of the strip, rather than by means of thrusting devices. A further advantage of the arrangement of feeding and braking devices described here is that it is not necessary to provide devices, such as conveying hooks or the like, together with their drives, for feeding the mesh strip to the coiling machine.

As soon as the desired length of mesh strip has been coiled on the mandrel 6 in this way, the length being measured by a known counting device which counts the number of transverse wires, the mandrel 6 stops rotating and the grippers l0, l1,

11a move into contact with the outer surface of the coil to prevent the coiled-up strip from uncoiling. The grippers 10, 11, 11a can example be moved inwards by means of fluidpressure cylinders 9 and 9a. It is now possible for the guillotine 4, 4a to cut off the mesh strip without the coil coming unwound, it being prevented from doing so by the grippers.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the upper gripper 10 is equipped with a rocker 12 on the two ends of which there are mounted rods or tubes 13, 13a, which extend over the axial length of the coil. The mandrel then rotates through a further angle, enough to bring the severed end of the mesh strip between the two rods or tubes 13, 13a, which hold the coil firmly together. In the next movement the movable support 15, which has severed during the coiling operation as an end support for one end of the mandrel 6, pivots downwards to come clear of the path of the coil, which is about to move transversely away from the coiling machine. A suitably driven ejector plate 16 then pushes the coil sideways to the left, as seen in FIG. 2, pushing it axially off the mandrel 6, the coil being still held together by the grippers 10, 11, 11a which travel sideways on lateral guide rails 14, moving sideways with the coil. As soon as the coil with the grippers has been shifted sideways out of the way, the ejector plate 16 and the movable support 15 both return to their initial positions, so that a new coiling operation can begin. The grippers hold the coil, which is now situated to one side of the coiling machine, firmly together, at the same time supporting it, until the binding of the coil has been completed. During the binding operation a new coiling operation is taking place on the mandrel 6.

When the binding of the coil has been completed, the grippers 10, 11 and 11a open up. In this movement the lower grippers 11 and 110, which have been supporting the coil from underneath, lower it down on to inclined delivery rails 19, down which the coil rolls under gravity, leaving the coiling shop. Finally, the grippers are returned by hand, or by means of suitable mechanical drives, to their initial positions around the new coil of mesh strip which is by this time already partly formed on the coiling machine.

In the example illustrated here the completed coil and the grippers are shifted transversely, with respect to the direction of advance of the mesh strip. Alternatively however the system can if desired be so arranged that the completed coil leaves the coiling machine in the direction of advance of the mesh strip. This arrangement is recommended in particular in the case of a coiling machine in which there are two stub mandrels instead of a through mandrel, each stub mandrel projecting a short distance inwards at the side of the coil. In this case it is not necessary to slide the coil sideways off the mandrel. The two stubs are merely separated far enough to allow the coil to be removed in the direction of advance of the mesh strip.

We claim:

I. In a machine for coiling elongated striplike material of the kind comprising a coiling mandrel, means for coiling said material on said mandrel, means for bringing about relative axial movement between a coil of material on said mandrel and said mandrel to separate said mandrel from said coil and means for removing said coil from said mandrel after said separation, the improvement comprising a gripper mechanism for gripping said coil on said mandrel, and means mounting said gripper mechanism for translatory movement, all individual grippers remaining stationary with regard to one another between a first position near said mandrel and a second position away from said mandrel, said gripper mechanism including at least two grippers, means pivotally mounting said grippers for inward movement from opposite sides of said coil into contact with the outer surface of said coil mounted on said mandrel whereby said grippers thrust against the surface of said coil holding it together, said grippers continuing to thrust against the surface of said coil during said translatory movement of said gripper mechanism from said first position to said second position whereby said grippers continue to hold said coil firmly together and prevent it from uncoiling in said second position.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bearing cantilever mounting one end 'of said mandrel, and wherein said means mounting said gripper mechanism enables said gripper mechanism to travel parallel to the axis of said mandrel whereby when said gripper mechanism travels from said first position to said second position said coil is removed axially from said mandrel.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a sliding ejector plate for sliding said coil off said mandrel by thrusting against one end of said coil and means mounting said sliding plate for traveling movement from one position near said hearing at said one end of said mandrel to a second position beyond the other end of said mandrel.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a movable support for supporting the other end of said mandrel and means mounting said support for pivotal movement whereby said support can move away from the path of said coil and said gripper mechanism between said first and said second positions.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gripper mechanism comprises at least two arms, means mounting each of said arms for pivoting movement on a movable frame, said pivoting movement taking place about axes extending parallel to the axis of said mandrel and fluid-pressure cylinder means coupling said arms together in said pivoting movement.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rod extending parallel to the axis of said mandrel over substantially the full axial length of said coil and means mounting said rod on the end of one of said pivoted arms.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rocker and means mounting said rocker on the end of one of said pivoted arms, two rods and means mounting one of said rods on each end of said rocker, said rods extending over substantially the full axial length of said coil.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for feeding said striplike material to said mandrel and for forming a loop of said material of variable length between said feeding means and said mandrel, a control device capable of feeding said material forwards from said loop and also capable of braking the forward movement of said material from said loop to said mandrel and guillotine means between said control device and said mandrel.

9. A machine as claimed in-claim 8, further comprising a coiling motor for driving said mandrel and limit switches for actuating said control device and said motor in dependence upon the length of said loop.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 8, further comprising guide means between said guillotine and said mandrel, and means for opening and closing said guide means for introducing the beginning of said elongated striplike material into a holding slot in said mandrel. 

1. In a machine for coiling elongated striplike material of the kind comprising a coiling mandrel, means for coiling said material on said mandrel, means for bringing about relative axial movement between a coil of material on said mandrel and said mandrel to separate said mandrel from said coil and means for removing said coil from said mandrel after said separation, the improvement comprising a gripper mechanism for gripping said coil on said mandrel, and means mounting said gripper mechanism for translatory movement, all individual grippers remaining stationary with regard to one another between a first position near said mandrel and a second position away from said mandrel, said gripper mechanism including at least two grippers, means pivotally mounting said grippers for inward movement from opposite sides of said coil into contact with the outer surface of said coil mounted on said mandrel whereby said grippers thrust against the surface of said coil holding it together, said grippers continuing to thrust against the surface of said coil during said translatory movement of said gripper mechanism from said first position to said second position whereby said grippers continue to hold said coil firmly together and prevent it from uncoiling in said second position.
 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bearing cantilever mounting one end of said mandrel, and wherein said means mounting said gripper mechanism enables said gripper mechanism to travel parallel to the axis of said mandrel whereby when said gripper mechanism travels from said first position to said second position said coil is removed axially from said mandrel.
 3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a sliding ejector plate for sliding said coil off said mandrel by thrusting against one end of said coil and means mounting said sliding plate for traveling movement from one position near said bearing at said one end of said mandrel to a second position beyond the other end of said mandrel.
 4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a movable support for supporting the other end of said mandrel and means mounting said support for pivotal movement whereby said support can move away from the path of said coil and said gripper mechanism between said first and said second positions.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein saId gripper mechanism comprises at least two arms, means mounting each of said arms for pivoting movement on a movable frame, said pivoting movement taking place about axes extending parallel to the axis of said mandrel and fluid-pressure cylinder means coupling said arms together in said pivoting movement.
 6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rod extending parallel to the axis of said mandrel over substantially the full axial length of said coil and means mounting said rod on the end of one of said pivoted arms.
 7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rocker and means mounting said rocker on the end of one of said pivoted arms, two rods and means mounting one of said rods on each end of said rocker, said rods extending over substantially the full axial length of said coil.
 8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for feeding said striplike material to said mandrel and for forming a loop of said material of variable length between said feeding means and said mandrel, a control device capable of feeding said material forwards from said loop and also capable of braking the forward movement of said material from said loop to said mandrel and guillotine means between said control device and said mandrel.
 9. A machine as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a coiling motor for driving said mandrel and limit switches for actuating said control device and said motor in dependence upon the length of said loop.
 10. A machine as claimed in claim 8, further comprising guide means between said guillotine and said mandrel, and means for opening and closing said guide means for introducing the beginning of said elongated striplike material into a holding slot in said mandrel. 